YMCA of Greater Springfield: Fit Kids helping out in obesity battle

Photo by Cicily Corbett FIT Kids program coach Benjamin Kissam of Springfield College with, from left, twins Nailiyah and Aaliyah Alves, of Chicopee, and Nolan Colon, of Springfield.

By CICILY CORBETT

SPRINGFIELD - The epidemics of the past - diseases such as polio, smallpox, diphtheria - have been all but wiped out in the United States. Obesity, diabetes, heart disease, asthma, certain cancers: These are the epidemics of our age. All are diseases aggravated, sometimes even caused, by poor lifestyle choices.

Fit Kids is a grant-funded program that gives children in the YMCA of Greater Springfield’s after-school programs the tools they need to make better choices about nutrition and encourages them to lead active lifestyles. The curriculum was developed based on the CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Child Health) fitness program.

CATCH is an evidence-based, National Institutes of Health-funded program proven to increase physical activity, improve student nutrition habits, reduce sodium and saturated fats in school lunches, sustain student health behaviors at least three years post-intervention, and decrease obesity rates.

Fit Kids coaches visit each site once a week to conduct a Fit Kids session. Each session includes a warm-up, a CATCH activity or game, and a cool-down as well as fitness, nutrition and education components.

Coaches are Springfield College students studying to be physical education teachers as well as some current physical education teachers from local school systems. The goal of the program is to prove that physically active kids make healthier choices.

The FIT Kids program is coordinated by Americorps volunteer Michele Boland. Her responsibilities include interviewing and hiring coaches and managing all the sites. There are 12 coaches at 16 sites throughout Greater Springfield.

“We learn about the food pyramid and the different food groups,” said Boland. “We talk about kids’ likes and dislikes and how to incorporate nutrition into meals and snacks. Each day, the kids have a variety of physical activities. With these activities, we concentrate on strength and conditioning.”

But can a few minutes a day really make a difference?

“We test them in the beginning and then again at the end of the program,” said Benjamin Kissam, one of the coaches. Kissam is a student at Springfield College, majoring in movement and sports science.

“One of the most important things I do is to show them how to perform the activities in the correct way,” said Kissam. “Sometimes they may be doing an exercise, like a push-up, wrong, so they’re not getting the benefit from it. With the supervision and training they get from me, they may be able to make a lot of progress in a short time with the activities.”

On a recent afternoon in the gym of the downtown YMCA facility at 275 Chestnut St. in Springfield, a small group of elementary-school youngsters worked out in the gym with Kissam. The boys dove readily into a game of basketball, while the girls lingered on the sidelines. The infectious fun quickly lured them onto the floor, however, and soon they were dribbling, passing and shooting with the others.

“This year was our first year so we’re paying attention, thinking about ways to make it better for next year,” said Boland. “We had one family event; in the future we’ll have more. Also, by next year we intend to have all the staff be Americorps volunteers. It’s a great program and we have high hopes for it.”

The YMCA of Greater Springfield was founded in 1852 and is the second oldest YMCA in the United States. The YMCA of Greater Springfield serves 105,000 people annually in 14 cities and towns throughout the region.

For more information on YMCA programs or how you can get involved, call 739-6951 (Downtown Springfield Y Family Center), 596-2749 (Scantic Valley Y Family Center) or 788-6143 (Dunbar Y Family & Community Center) or visit www.springfieldy.org